Car-dumping apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. WALKER, GAR DUMPING APPARATUS. No. 535,647. Patented Mar. 12, 1895.

J? .1. Mr -MF I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. WALKER. GAR DUMPING 'APPARATU S..

No. 535,647. Patented Mar. 12. 1895.

' UN TED STATES PATENT I OFFIcn.

ALEXANDER WALKER, OF WHAT CHEER, IOWA.

CAR-DUMPING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,647, dated March 12, 1895.

Application filed December 5, 1894. Serial No. 530,912- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at What Cheer, in the county of Keokuk and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oar-Dumping Apparatus, of. which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car-dumping apparatus particularly adapted to the quick and easy dumping of cars at coal mines and at points of shipment, transfer or storage for coal, gravel, stone and other commodities and to facilitate an economical handling of the same. The objects of my invention are to provide a dumping apparatus onto which a loaded car may enter from either direction and, when emptied, be pushed off in the same direction by a succeeding loaded car, and so on, the

another track for returning them to the point of departure; to provide a simple arrangement of guards or look bars to engage the car a continuous passage of cars over said track section; also to provide an efficient and simply 1 operated brake and stop for the tilting track section; and further to simplify and improve the operation of a car dumping apparatus for the cheap and economical handling of coal and other material. Myinvention consists in the features of construction and novel combination of parts in an apparatus for dumping railway cars, as

hereinafter more particularly described and brake 15 will also act as a stop pawl to engage one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 14 and claimed.

In the annexed drawings illustrating the invention-Figure 1, is aplan of myimproved car dumping apparatus, with railway tracks.

Fig. 2, is a vertical longitudinal section of the dumping apparatus. Fig. 3, is a vertical trans-- verse section of the same. Fig. 4:, is a separate view of the dumping or tilting track section with brake and stop mechanism.

The numerals l and 2 designate parallel railway tracks connected through a switch track 8. In one of the parallel tracks is constructed a tilting track-section. 4 arranged empty cars to be transferred over a switch to above achute 5 for conductinga dumped-car load to any desired point.

V The tilting track section 4: consists of a rectangular frame provided with track rails 6 both on its upper and lower sides; On the end cross bars 7 of this tilting track section are trunnions S journaled in bearings 9 between the main track. To the outer vertical surfaces of the side bars or stringers 10, comprised in the tiltingtrack section, are secured arms 11' that carry flanged guards or look bars 12 which are angular in cross section and adapted to engage over the car wheels 13, outside their flanges, in such manner as to hold the car onto the track section and support it in an inverted position when the load is dumped. Each of the track rails 6 on the tilting track section may be slightly depressed below the main track to assist in holding the uppermost car when rolled onto the said tilting track section. The car is dumped by giving a slight impulse to the tilting track section 4, so that the contents of the car will pass out over the car side and thence to the chute. Thus the car does not need to be provided with doors nor removable sides or sections and the dumping of the load is effected instantaneously or as soon as the center gravity is disturbed by the impulse given to the tilting track section,

by an attendant.

On one of the trunnions 8 is a ratchet wheel 14 the under side of which is normally engaged by a pivotally supported brake 15 having attached to one end a vertically projecting lever 16 through which the rotation of the tilting track section 4 can be controlled. This impulse the tilting track section may now be partly rotated to dump the loaded car, the brake lever 16 being meanwhile pushed down to force the brake 15 upward against the un- Under a slight toothed portion of the ratchet wheel 14 and thereby control the speed of dumping. As soon as the tilting track section 4 has made a half revolution its movement will be arrested by engagement of the brake or pawl 15 with one of the ratchet teeth, and the emptied car will thus be left-in an inverted position as the now uppermost track of the tilting track section is brought into alignment with the main track, in readiness to receive a loaded car. On repeating the above described operation, the dumping of the loaded car will bring the previously emptied car again to the surface, in an upright position, and it may now be pushed along and off from the tilting track section by the next car to be dumped. The empty cars may be'moved over the switch 3 to the return track 2 and thence to the point of departure. The return of the empty cars may be accomplished by gravity if a suitable inclination is given to the return track.

The chute 5 may be of any suitable construction and may have any required inclination according to the direction in which it is desired to deliver the dumped material. At the top of the chute there may be erected stationary guards 17 to prevent a scattering of the material as it is turned out or dumped from the car. IVhen a car is in an inverted position on the under side of the tilting track section 4 it will be held thereon by the end walls 18 of the chute and cannot become disengaged until it is brought to an upright position.

It will be seen that by the arrangement of parallel tracks communicating over a switch at a point beyond the tilting track section the emptied cars will not at any time be in the way of the loaded ones so as to cause any delay in dumping. The construction of the tilting track section is such that it will not in any way interfere with the continuous passage of cars over it, if so desired; and its operation is smooth and efficient, so that it can be readily and easily controlled for the economical handling of coal, or other material, at mines or elsewhere.

If desired, the tipple or tilting track section may be provided on each side with an arrangement of adjustable stops to hold the cars from endwise displacement on the ti pple when revolving to and from the dumping position.

In Figs. 1 and'4,I have shown,for instance, on each side of the tipple a rock shaft 19 journaled in bearings 20 on the sides of the tilting track section. Each rock shaft 19 is provided near its ends with arms 21 that have their outer ends bent in such manner as to clasp over the bumper beams of the cars when the shafts are rocked in the proper direction. At or near its center each rook shaft 19 is bent or cranked in such manner as to form a stop arm 22 that will come between and in contact with the wheels of the car track at the same time that the shaft 19 is rocked in the proper direction to cause its arms 21 to engage the bumpers, and thus by means of these stop arms 21 and 22 the car will be held safely from running off at either end of the tipple while it is being revolved. Alever arm 23 on one endof each rock shaft will afford means for operating the stops; and a segment rack 24., or any other suitable device, may be provided to lock the rock shaft in the position to which it may be turned. The rock shafts on opposite sides of the tipple will have their arms normally projecting in reverse directions, or upward on one rock shaft and downward on the other. Before running a car onto the tipple the proper rock shaft will be turned so as to throw its arms 21 and 22 out ward, thus permitting the car wheels to pass under and into engagement with the guards or look bars 12 and the rock shaft 19 will then be turned back. The clasping of the stop arms 21 over the bumper beams and the engagement of the stop arm 22 between the truck wheels will now securely lock the car and prevent any endwise movement thereof on the tipple, or tilting track section, while the latter is revolved in the operation of dumping.

It is obvious that the .mouth of the chute may be located at either side of the track and the stop and brake mechanism be so arranged as to permit the operation of the tipple in either direction, to the right or left.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a car dumping apparatus, the combination with a tilting track section or frame having track rails on its upper and lower sides, of vertical arms secured to the side bars or stringers of said frame and projecting above and below the same, and the longitudinally extended guards or look bars secured to the ends of said arms and adapted to engage the wheels of a car to support it in an inverted position on rotation of the tilting frame and to permit the car to enter and leave the track section from either end, substantially as described.

2. In a car dumping apparatus, the combination with parallel railway tracks connected by a switch, and a chute leading from be neath one of said tracks adjacent to the chute, of a tilting track section arranged over the chute to operate in the upper portion thereof and provided on opposite sides, both above and below, with horizontal longitudinally extended guards or look bars to engage the wheels of a car in such manner as to support it in an inverted position and adapted to permit the upright car to enter and leave the tilting track section from either end, substantially as described.

3. In a car dumping apparatus, the combination with a tilting track section having parallel longitudinally arranged guards or look bars 12 on opposite sides both above and be- 1 arranged to project in opposite directions, low to engage the wheels of a car and support substantially as described. it in an inverted position, oi the longitudi- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set nally arranged rock shafts 19 jonrnaied to opmy hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 5 posite sides of the tilting track section and nesses.

each provided near the ends with stop arms 21 adapted to clasp the bumper beams of a ALEXANDER WALKER car and each having a central stop arm 22 to Witnesses: engage between the Wheels of a car, the said WM. TAYLOR RAMSAY, [0 stop arms on the respective rock shafts being WILLIAM THOMPSON. 

